Key Amendments to H.R.1, Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations Bill

Many freshmen members of the House of Representatives were voted into office by their promises to help cut spending and reduce the federal deficit. Now, with the 2011 spending measure on the House floor, they have their first opportunity to follow-up on their campaign promises. More than 400 amendments offering different ways to cut the budget have been added to the legislation.
The New York Times has highlighted some of the key amendments below.  Derek Willis and Elisabeth Goodridge

Prohibits Government Sponsoring of Nascar Cars(H.AMDT.92)

This amendment would prohibit the Defense Department from sponsoring cars in Nascar races. According to the amendment's sponsor, Representative Betty McCollum, Democrat of Minnesota, the Army, Navy and National Guard have all sponsored race cars. "Incredibly, over the past decade hundreds of millions
of taxpayer dollars have subsidized race car owners and millionaire drivers in the name of military recruitment," she said.

Prohibits the E.P.A. From Regulating Greenhouse Gases(H.AMDT.101)

This amendment, which takes aim at the Democrats’ environmental agenda, eliminates funding that would allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and factories.

This amendment, sponsored by Representative Denny Rehberg, Republican of Montana, would prohibit "funds from being used to pay any employee, officer, or contractor to implement the provisions of the president’s health care law." Related Story

Prohibits Financing to Enforce the Insurance Mandate(H.AMDT.106)

This amendment, another sponsored by Republicans to attack President Obama's health care law, would prohibit funds to implement the mandate that most Americans obtain health insurance and other reporting requirements in the health care law. Related Story

Reduces Financing for the N.E.A.(H.AMDT.52)

Citing the high federal deficit, many Republicans have questioned the need to support arts programs with government financing. This amendment was introduced to reduce financing for the National Endowment for the Arts back to fiscal 2006 levels (about $21 million). It passed in a tight vote.

Restores $50 Million in Heating Subsidies for the Poor(H.AMDT.55)

The chamber rejected this effort by Representative Charles F. Bass, Republican of New Hampshire, to add $50 million back to the budget for the Low Energy Assistance Program, which provides heating subsidies for the poor.

Restores Financing for Special Education(H.AMDT.59)

Rejects Effort to Strip Financing from Labor Board(H.AMDT.64)

The amendment's sponsor, Representative Tom Price, Republican of Georgia, called the National Labor Relations Board "a New Deal relic," and while many Republicans have criticized the agency, the effort to eliminate financing was voted down.

Tom PriceRepublican of Ga.

Agreed to(No roll call vote)

Eliminates 'Green the Capitol' Financing(H.AMDT.68)

This amendment eliminates funding for a project launched by the Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, when she was House speaker. Related Story

Eliminates Financing for White House Advisers(H.AMDT.89)

To Restore $131 Million for the S.E.C.(H.AMDT.90)

Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, sponsored this amendment to restore funding to the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been stripped from the original budget proposal. This vote was mainly along partisan lines.

Cancels F-35 Jet Engine Program(H.AMDT.16)

This proposal to cancel the alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would cut an additional $450 million and save up to $3 billion over the next several years. It won bipartisan support and overcame the opposition of House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio. Related Story

Eliminates the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund(H.AMDT.17)

"We are trying to find $400 million to put in an infrastructure fund for Afghanistan, which is going to be borrowed money from the Chinese to begin with," said the amendment's sponsor, Representative Walter B. Jones, Republican of North Carolina. "It's not even Uncle Sam's money."

To Reduce Financing for Iraq by $1.5 Billion(H.AMDT.18)

This amendment would have eliminated $1.5
billion allocated for security forces in Iraq.
"If we are going to be cutting Pell grants and energy research and heating assistance for families here in the United States, we certainly should take a hard look at Pentagon spending as well," the amendment's sponsor, Representative Rush D. Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, said.

Rejects Restoring Financing for Organic Farming(H.AMDT.20)

Noting that organic agriculture "supports a growing proportion of profitable small family farms in America," Representative Peter A. DeFazio, Democrat of Oregon, urged the chamber to transfer $5 million from one Agriculture Department project to restore financing for organic farming research.

Restores Financing for Development Grants(H.AMDT.22)

Eliminates the National Drug Intelligence Center(H.AMDT.23)

A Justice Department division founded to improve intelligence gathering on drug activity, the National Drug Intelligence Center provides, according to this amendment's sponsor, "no better example for wasteful spending." Forty-five Democrats joined a majority of their Republican colleagues to eliminate the pet project of the late Representative John P. Murtha, Democrat of Pennsylvania.

To Reduce Financing for Research Buildings by $10 Million(H.AMDT.24)

Transfers Financing From NASA to Restore Local Enforcement(H.AMDT.27)

The so-called COPS Program, for Community Oriented Policing Services, helps to add police officers to local departments, and had been slated for elimination. This amendment transfers financing from NASA to save the program.

Rejects Eliminating the Legal Services Corporation(H.AMDT.30)

While the amendment's sponsor, Representative Jeff Duncan, Republican of North Carolina, calls the group an example of "liberal trial lawyer bailouts," there was a bipartisan push to save the agency, which provides legal services to low-income Americans.

Eliminates Financing for Energy Division(H.AMDT.31)

The Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, a clean-energy innovation program modeled after the better-known Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, or Darpa, was spared elimination.

Judy BiggertRepublican of Ill.

Agreed to(No roll call vote)

Reduces Financing for Dam Study(H.AMDT.33)

The chamber approved this amendment to reduce financing by $1.9 million for a study researching salmon migrations at the Klamath Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Representative Tom McClintock, Republican of Nevada, called it an example of "Greens Gone Wild."

Tom McClintockRepublican of Calif.

Rejected(No roll call vote)

To Eliminate Subsidies for Solar Energy Research(H.AMDT.34)

Representative Tom McClintock said, "solar power is not a new technology." And as an expensive source of energy, taxpayers should not be expected to subsidize it.

To Eliminate Financing for the Draft Boards(H.AMDT.37)

The amendment's sponsor, Representative Peter A. DeFazio, Democrat of Oregon, called the Selective Service System "a dead bureaucracy that does nothing and never will
do anything." He urged that the $24 million allocated for 2011 be eliminated.

Alters Legislation to Remove Wyoming Grey Wolves From the Endangered Species Act(H.AMDT.44)

Reduces E.P.A. Financing by $8.5 Million(H.AMDT.47)

In a close vote, the chamber elected to reduce financing for the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Registry. "This data is the very foundation of the E.P.A.'s effort to pursue its radical anti-jobs agenda," said the amendment's founder, Representative Mike Pompeo, Republican of Kansas.

Blocks Financing for a Sewer in Mexico(H.AMDT.48)

This amendment was added to strip $10 million of financing from a sewer project in
Tijuana, Mexico. "When we are borrowing 40 cents on every dollar on the backs of our children and our grandchildren," said Representative Thomas Reed, Republican of New York, the amendment's sponsor."Why are we spending $10 million so that a sewer could be constructed in Tijuana, Mexico?"

To Eliminate $19 Million From Defense Budget (H.AMDT.11)

This amendment would strip nearly $19 million from an operations and maintenance account. "I realize the amount of savings in this amendment is relatively small compared to the overall defense budget, but I think the point has to be made here that the defense budget is not sacrosanct," the amendment's sponsor, Representative Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, said to no avail.

To Eliminate the Innovative Research Fund(H.AMDT.12)

In another vote that demonstrated the chamber's aversion to cutting Defense Department financing, lawmakers rejected this amendment that would have eliminated the Innovative Research Fund. The $502 million financing "was not requested by the Department of Defense," according to the amendment's sponsor, Representative Mike Pompeo, Republican of Kansas.